Wars of the Roses

English

The red rose of Lancaster

The white rose of York

Alternative forms

• War of the Roses

Etymology

After the symbols of the two sides: the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York

Proper noun

the Wars of the Roses pl (plural only)

1. (historical) A civil war that lasted from 1455 to 1487, fought between the English houses of Lancaster and York and allies in France, Burgundy and Scotland.